Is Jadeveon Clowney a bust for the Texans, or just unlucky?
Oct 20, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Houston Texans defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel (left) and linebacker Jadeveon Clowney before the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
When the 2014 draft opened, everyone was watching to see if the Texans would go with the safe pick, Clowney or rock the boat and maybe take risk with a popular but undersized player like Johnny Manziel. The Texans fan based was roiled up with some fans so in favor of Johnny Football that they took out billboards trying to move Manziel’s address from College Station to Houston. Alas, the Texans chose Clowney whose physical prowess and potential trump the show and drama that selecting Manziel would have brought. On November 16th, the Texans will travel to the Dawg Pound and take on the Browns. Neither Manziel nor Clowney will be starting, let alone playing as things stand right now.
Manziel sitting is understandable. Brian Hoyer is performing well, leading the Browns to a 5-3 record, letting the Browns give Manziel time to mature in his role as back up. Eventually, Johnny Football will get the nod to start. However Jadeveon Clowney was drafted as an immediate impact player. There were high expectations for him to be on the field and making teams fear the sight of Watt and Clowney lining up to wreck their quarterbacks. We saw a few flashes of what could be in the preseason. Then it all started to fall apart.
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First Clowney missed a good portion of the OTA’s with hernia surgery. Okay, can’t knock him for that, it happens. I doubt he’d of gone first had that been known but fine. One could let that slide. During the preseason Clowney suffered a concussion during joint practice with the Broncos. Again, stuff happens, it’s football. Game one, Redskins at Texans. Clowney didn’t even finish the game. He landed awkwardly possibly due to the atrocious field that the Texans have and tore his meniscus. He was out for 6 weeks.
At this point, fans were not pleased. Yet again, the number one draft pick in the NFL was sidelined. The ghost of Mario Williams time in Houston reared it’s ugly head. Big, fast defensive player who can’t seem to stay healthy. Clowney even has the same jersey number as Williams, #90. Perhaps it’s cursed? Maybe give him #99.5? Either way, Clowney was out until week 7 when the Texans traveled to the Titans. Clowney didn’t have much of a direct impact though his presence did seem to help Watt by diverting attention.
That brings us to the Eagles game. Clowney missed this game because he was “sick”. He was too sick to attend the game, but not too sick to hit up the ladies on Instragram. I’m not going to knock a guy for spending some free time being sociable, however the game was on and he was too sick to be there and too distracted to seem to care. Optics, the media is going to take anything controversial and make hay with it. It’s just how things are. Players, especially players in a position like Clowney with tons of attention and the hopes of a city looking towards him to produce need be aware of this.